As I wait to board my final flight from Heathrow to Philadelphia, just a pond away from being at home with my loved ones, I cannot say that I am not excited. It's been long road from where we began. For me, the summer that started in Myrtle took me all over- San Francisco, New York, Martha's Vineyard, Durham (NC), cities and towns across Northern England, and finally back in the City of Brotherly Love, my home.
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Celeste again! These past ten weeks have flown by! I have truly enjoyed my time in both Durham, NC and Durham, UK! Yesterday, evening, we had our final reflection session. It was so inspiring to hear about all of the new things everyone has learned this summer and all of the things they plan to take back to the states...I, for one, plan to drink a lot more tea! :)
In preparation for coming back to Durham, NC, check out this BuzzFeed article on some of the best things to do (and eat) in Durham, NC! http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinalan/reasons-its-practically-impossible-to-leave-durham-nc#.gh1K5zmkp Hi, it's Yasmine!
Before I came to Durham, I imagined Durham to be a countryside with a university pulling the economy, and thus developing slightly around the campus. After having been here for over two weeks, I see Durham as a small compact town rich in history. It’s not carefully planned like some big cities, but all the bridges, brick buildings, the Cathedral and the Castle fit so well together in the most natural way. It’s small, but has everything you’d need in daily life. Everyday, I walk from Grey College all the way across the town, via the beautiful city centre, and finally to Waddington Street Centre, a nice and cosy place building inside and out. Waddington is a mental health centre. Over a span of three weeks, my work is divided into the 3 major parts of Waddington- Health Training, Education, and Support. It’s been exciting for me everyday since I’m always doing something different and seeing all parts of Waddington. At the same time, everything’s consistent and centred around mental health. In the past two weeks, I’ve been exposed to some general mental health issues and realized how little I knew as well as how distorted stereotypes are of this group of people. At Waddington, I’ve been able to see the struggles people face associated with mental health as well as the obstacles they’ve managed to overcome. At the same time, I’m constantly amazed by how talented everyone is. Every day, I go to work expecting to see more surprise that’s yet to come, whether it’s with badminton, football, painting, etc. Words cannot describe how incredible things are here, and how glad and grateful I am to be immersed in the warm and welcoming atmosphere at Waddington. Time has flown by so fast, and it’s hard to believe that this week would be my last week here- but of course, I’m still looking forward to seeing all the wonders that would never cease here. Grace checking in. It’s been a busy past three weeks, and I can’t believe we only have 1 short week left until we’re back in the states! We’ve had a lot of day trips and discussions dealing with the past and present of Durham: the mining history with Beamish & Killihope, medieval history & Bamburgh & Lindisfarne, a panel with the Durham City Council discussing economic development, a tour of Netpark, and the weekly DukeEngage group reflections. These trips were supplemented by my own weekend travels, visiting Newcastle, Edinburgh, York, and Leeds.
The strong sense of cultural heritage in Durham, and in various towns and regions of the country have been deeply impressed on me. [I supposed I should say city, since people here will correct you if you say town, but I tease my Southern friends that Durham, NC isn’t a city either.] I’m amazed how much we talk about mining [and frankly, how much there can possible be said about mining]. At present, Durham seems very quiet and lackadaisical, but since it is summer and the majority of the population i.e. students is gone, it makes sense. Durham, and England in general, distinctly differs from the US in that just about everything except pubs and the Tesco closes up at 5 pm, whereas hours are much longer and more convenient for people working 9-5 jobs in the U.S. From talking to various parties, it seems that Durham’s primary economic problems are geographic, cultural, and educational. The portions of the population that are seeking higher education are also leaving Durham to seek better jobs and more affordable housing. It seems that Durham, UK has a similar economic inequality issue as in Durham, NC. We see a lot of nice cars and large houses, and prices here are very high, so there is clearly a lot of wealth here, but poverty and whole families of chronically unemployed persons aren’t uncommon. I’m excited for the upcoming week with our largest camp of scullers, which will be travelling to Newcastle daily to row on the Tyne. This weekend was filled with new and exciting experiences! On Saturday, the Duke Engage group, along with the Durham University summer students, traveled to Bamburgh and Lindisfarne. The Bamburgh castle is located in northern England next to the beautiful coast. The castle was incredible, and I learned a great deal about the history of the place. I enjoyed the dungeon portion the most :). I tried to walk up to the beach through the sand hills, and let me tell you, it was so tiring! Then we traveled to Lindisfarne, which again was gorgeous. You have to travel to Lindisfarne when the tides are low, or you'll get stuck! The town was adorable, but I really enjoyed the coast. There were boats along the shore, and the view was incredible. We climbed to the top of the castle, and I never wanted to leave! Everything was very proper and well done! After lots of walking and climbing, I slept like a baby on the bus ride back.
This past Sunday, the Duke Engage group traveled to Edinburgh! We were there for about 7 hours, but we covered a lot! Some of the places we explored was the castle, the royal mile, Arthur's seat, the Holyrood palace, and Elephant House Cafe. The climb to Arthur's seat was grueling, but worth the view. You could see the whole city! I really enjoyed the audio tour for Holyrood palace, and the rooms inside were magnificent. It was really cool to see the birthplace of Harry Potter, Elephant House Cafe. I liked how they kept it a cafe, and did not turn it into a museum. There is this small, but really yummy and cheap Indian restaurant, 10 to 10 in Delhi, that everyone must try if they visit! The food was delicious yet cheap (especially the mango lassi). All in all, it was a very adventurous weekend! I loved all the new experiences and can't wait to have more during these next two weeks! -Eshita Hello everyone! It’s Celeste again! This summer continues to excite and surprise me! Thus far, the trip to Durham, UK has provided me with so many learning experiences! I’ve learned new words (tea=dinner, quid= pound), new historical facts, and seen so many things. One experience that I truly enjoyed was my trip to Ushaw College. I went with Sam (one of the program directors) and a couple of the Durham University faculty members. Ushaw College was founded in 1808 and originally served as a seminary. We had the opportunity to explore the most beautiful, old, Victorian chapels and marvel at their gothic architectures. We also had an opportunity to explore the college library. This was my favorite part of the trip. We saw a first edition of Origin of Species, by Charles Darwin. We also saw a book of Lord Byron’s poems, including an original handwritten manuscript of one of his poems. Interestingly, the handwritten manuscript was slightly different from the published poem today! There was also an atlas that was written in 1492. This atlas was one of the largest books I’d ever seen. It looked like it was easily 1000 pages long. However, it was published the same year that Columbus “discovered” America. So, this 1000 page atlas had excluded a large portion of the world…Can you imagine being the person who finally completed the atlas to then hear in the same year that more of the world was discovered? We also saw a first edition book of the birds of South Carolina. I was tickled to see this book and wondered how this special, rare book happened to be here! Aside from the chapels and the library, we also got to see some of the treasures located at Ushaw College. One such treasure was St. Cuthbert’s sapphire and gold ring. This was amazing to see. I feel so lucky to have this opportunity to learn so much and look forward to what the last two weeks will bring!
We left Durham and entered Durham. Although they share the same name, they have unique histories, distinct personalities, different metrics and one has less sun. Instead of being graced by the presence of Dukes gothic chapel, I've been admiring an equally as gorgeous cathedral whose spires stick into the skyline flaunting a Romanesque appearance. The parallels between the Durhams' historic pasts are seen when we compare the coal and tobacco industries. Durham, England was a mining town that brought wealth across the country in the early 1900’s. Once the energy source was replaced and mines closed down the economy descended and has yet to revitalize into the success that Durham, North Carolina has gained from medicine and information technology. Durham University brings students from around the country and world, but many leave after graduation in search of jobs and places that offer resources for innovation. Durham has struggled to develop and is still in search of something to refuel their economy. In our discussion with the Vice Chancellor we learned that the city looked at Research Triangle Park to get ideas on how to spearhead economic development, retain graduates and provide new opportunities. The challenge, he explained, is that globalization has prevented local businesses from thriving. It is easier to develop in other areas, and businesses do better with connections around the globe. The biggest business that came out of their research park is based in the U.S. Another challenge facing the area that has restricted economic development is political partisanship. People here have strong allegiances that are based on their social class and family background. This is restricting political momentum, but it is representative of the strong pride that English people have for their heritage. Right away I got an impression that people who live in Durham love Durham and appreciate their culture. The landscape is beautiful and the architecture holds rich history. In addition we have met locals, acquired new terminology, taken more photos of the Durham Cathedral than the Duke Chapel, climbed more hills than ever before and existed on too few hours of sleep.
-Marissa We are finally here in Durham, England! This past week has been a steep learning curve about the culture and lifestyle here in Durham. We are living at Grey College, one of the 16 colleges of Durham University. The college is beautiful and I really enjoy my time here!
Hi! Yasmine again!
Last Sunday, we finally arrived at Durham, UK, and it’s been absolutely amazing so far! We’re staying at Grey College, one of the 16 colleges of Durham University. The colleges here are quite independent, in the sense that has each has its own dining hall, reception, pub, etc. When entering first year, students are assigned to a college, and becomes ‘loyal’ to it (much like the Greek life in the States). Some students choose based on their family tradition, some based on distinct features of the college (e.g. St. John’s is dominantly Christian, Teikyo is mainly Japanese, etc.), and others are randomly assigned. Durham is a very hilly place. On the way back to dorm, there’s an uphill climb to Grey College and it’s always a struggle (though the locals say it’s nothing). Nevertheless, Durham is a great place to walk around. The city is pretty compact, especially downtown, and most places are in walking distance. The scenery is stunning. There’s a river flowing through Durham and bridges that add to the beauty of this town. The landmarks here are the Cathedral and the Castle. Two days ago, we had a very formal dinner/tea (as they call it here) in the Castle with Durham University Summer School students, who are currently doing either a 2-week or 4-week course here, based on archaeology, history, geography, or language, and it was interesting meeting people from all over the world. The Castle today is a part of one of the colleges of Durham University, and there’re students living there during the school year. During summer and holidays, it’s open to the public and has many uses, such as a wedding place. The Castle is a world-protected architecture, and it’s amazing how it’s still so accessible to the general public. The food here is delicious (though I can’t imagine what British life would be without butter butter butter), and we’ve been fed very well this week. Typical British food would be scones (with butter) and sandwiches (with butter). Tea is also a lot more popular here than in the States. After the welcome party this week, we’ll officially start at our placements next week, and I can’t wait to see what it’ll be like! Hey everyone, it’s Marissa again!
In our reflection session we had the chance to meet a refugee from Africa and hear his story. Prior to his visit we reviewed the problems that arise from focusing on single stories and sole viewpoints. We watched Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech about telling stories and stereotyping. Speaking with the refugee who was brought to Durham by the State Department to be saved from persecution offered another narrative on why Durham needs economic and workforce development. Although I have spent a few weeks at my site and have met with many Durham youth, this story was enlightening to hear. He told us about his adjustment period in coming to the United States and how he needed assistance in order to find a job. For the refugee, even walking into a grocery store was difficult since he did not know the process of selecting goods and checking out. There are systems in place and organizations in the Durham area that assist refugees when they arrive. These organizations educate and support them until they are self-sufficient. Similarly, there are Durham residents that do not have the foundation of information that is needed to get a job. Some people who are seeking employment have not grown up in households with employed adults. There are people that are unaware that they must interview, submit resumes, and maintain a level of professionalism. Schools don’t exactly teach these skills, and due to large income disparity between households in Durham, it is difficult to pinpoint the most deficient skills. The refugee’s perspective as someone seeking employment in the Durham area is pertinent to the work I am doing at the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. When I was helping to organize a pre-employment training for our Summer YouthWork Internship Program, I should have realized that not all students have fundamental workforce skills. By the closing of the training program, it was evident that not all of the youth obtained the skills we intended to teach. There were too many missing pieces of information, which prevented the youth from comprehending the whole picture. These skills that are required for the workforce need to be addressed through other means and over a longer period of time. Our office is communicating with Durham Public Schools to see how the school curriculum could incorporate skill building. Another reason the refugee's perspective was important was because it outlined the transition from living in one country and going into another. The cultural differences, society norms and way of life are unique. This has encouraged me to think about the experiences I may have when I arrive in England, and how I will have to acclimate to a the British lifestyle. |
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